1 min
Charlton Athletic fought back from going behind twice to secure a point with a 2-2 draw in an end to end encounter against Plymouth Argyle at the Valley.
Lacklustre Charlton defending gave the Pilgrims the lead as early as the sixth minute as Ryan Hardie easily beat Ben Watson and squared the ball to Luke Jephcott for a simple tap in.
However, the Addicks equalised after 32 minutes through Chris Gunter, the Welshman thumping the ball into the back of the net from two yards out after a corner found its way to him at the back post through a crowd of bodies.
Plymouth then restored their lead four minutes later once again through Jephcott who slotted home after Charlton failed to clear their lines.
And it took an absolute stunner for Charlton to get back into the game with substitute Marcus Maddison driving a low effort into the bottom corner from around 20 yards out on 67 minutes.
The final 20 minutes saw half-chances for both sides, but neither side could find a winner in the entertaining draw.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
Marcus Maddison’s long range strike drew Charlton level, securing a hard fought point for the Addicks.
Moan of the Match
Charlton’s defending was horrendous – too often giving the ball away cheaply with poor distribution from the back.
Talking Point
The attack was brilliant at times but it was let down by a shoddy defence, particularly in the first- half. Does the squad have enough firepower to counteract their defensive weakness?
Man of the Match
Marcus Maddison – although it was only a 25 minute cameo, the forward was by far Charlton’s most creative player and grabbed a crucial equaliser.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire) – a mediocre display, letting play flow in the first-half but blowing for every single touch in the second.
Atmosphere
The Valley on Boxing Day was depressingly quiet, something which would never have seemed possible just a year ago.
Verdict
A decent attacking display from Charlton let down by a disappointing defensive performance means there is plenty of work still to do if the Addicks are going to be serious promotion contenders.
